Retort basket loader



2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENToR'. 64Min' freni@ rfn c Um ff. w.

NOV-v10, 1953 G. B. STRYKER RETORT BASKET LOADER Filed Nov. 20, 1948 Nov. 10, 1953 Filed Nov. 20, 1948 G. B. STRYKER RETORT BASKET LOADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. @wein-i. .5mm/ie Patented Nov. 10, 1953 RETORT BASKET LOADER Garrett B. Stryker, Fullerton, Calif., assignor to Hunt Foods, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application November 20, 1948, Serial No. 61,272

Claims. l

This invention relates to a retort basket loader and in general has as its object the provision of a device by which sealed cans can be loaded into a retort basket without danger of denting them and which permits of the ready removal oi the loaded baskets by a fork lift truck so that they may be subsequently charged or loaded into a rotary type of cooker.

In the canning industry, one of two types of cookers is normally used, either a rotary cooker or a retort cooker. When a rotary type cooker is used, sealed cans from a seamer must be fed to the cooker in a predetermined position so as properly to be delivered to the spiral channel provided in the cooker and through which the cans pass during the cooking cycle. When a retort cooker is used, cans from the seamer are dumped into retort baskets and the loaded baskets are placed in the cooker. Upon completion of the cooking cycle the baskets are removed from the cooker and the cans manually transferred in a predetermined position to a `conveyor belt leading to a labeling machine. This type of operation is objectionable for several reasons, among which is the fact that when the cans are discharged from the seamer to the retort baskets, many of the cans become dented and consequently have to be sold at a depreciated pri-ce.

More specifically, the object of this invention is the provision vof a retort basket loader including a tank divided into two compartments by a common Wall provided lwith an overflow lip over which water from one compartment can iiow into the other compartment. Mounted ladjacent the upper edge of one -side of the tank is a can conveyor leading from the can seamer, means being provided for selectively discharging cans from the conveyor into one or the other of the two compartments. Initially, one of the compartments is lled with water to a level determined by the overflow lip of the common wall of the tank, the other compartment containing -a volume of water less than its full capacity as determined by the level of the overow lip, by a quantity of water equal to the displacement of one of the retort baskets and its load of cans, whereby when a retort basket is immersed in the first compartment and filled with cans, water from this compartment overflows into the second compartment to substantially ll it with water, preparatory to the subsequent immersion in the second tank of a second retort basket and a similar load of cans.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification is outlined in full. in said drawings, one form of the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a retort basket loader embodying the objects of my invention and in which its can conveyor belt is shown as leading from a can seamer in position to receive sealed cans from the seamer;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi the retort basket loader and its associated seamer shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The basket loader shown in these various gures comprises a tank generally designated by the reference numeral I and including a bottom 2, front and rear ends 3 and 5, side walls 5 and and an intermediate vertical partition 'l dividing the tank into two identical compartments 8 and 9. Formed in the partition 'i at a predetermined level is a slot l l, the lower edge of which serves as an overflow lip for permitting water in one of the compartments 8 and s to flow into the other of said compartments. Initially, one of these compartments, such as the compartment 8, is lled with water up to the level of the slot E i and contained in the compartment 9 is a volume of water less than the capacity oi" the tank as determined by the slot li, by a volume of water equal to the displacement of the retort basket which is to be immersed in the compartment 8 and the load of cans `which are dumped into this basket. it will be seen that as a result of this construction, when a basket is immersed in the compartment t and charged with a load of `cans a quantity ci water equal to the displacement of the basket and its cans will flow through the slot il into the compartment t so as to substantially ili this latter compartment and place it in readiness to receive a second retort basket and a second load of cans.

By alternately displacing water from one of the compartments to the other so as to fill the latter compartment up to the level of the slot I I, alternately immersing a retort basket in the filled compartment and loading the basket with cans so as to displace water into the first mentioned compartment, the height of the sides and end walls of the tanks may be kept much lower than would otherwise be required. Since the retort baskets are foraminous they will completely ll with water when they are placed in one or the other of the tank compartments and the water contained therein will serve as a cushion to dampen the fall of the cans discharged into the baskets thereby to prevent the denting of these cans and the consequent loss in value which they would otherwise sustain. As each of the baskets, is charged with cans, it is lifted from its associated compartment by means o1" a fork lift truck and during this operation all of the water contained in the basket will immediately drain therefrom. As already suggested, the loaded baskets are transported by for lift trucks to a retort cooker.

Mounted on the forward end of the tank is a bracket I2 and similarly mounted on the rear end of the tank is a bracket I3. Welded to the side of the tank at its upper end and extending rearwardly thereof is a can guide rail I4. Welded to and supported by the brackets I2 and I3 in parallelism with and spaced from the can guide rail Ill is a can guide rail I5 which like the can guide rail I4 extends rearwardly of the tank l and forms therewith a channel for the passage of cans. The rear ends of the guide rails I4 and i5 are supported by a frame I6. Journaled in spaced bearings mounted on the rear ends of the upstanding can guide rails I4 and I5 is a roller I 'I and similarly mounted in bearings mounted in the bracket I2 is a roller I3 to which is fastened a drive pulley I9. Passing around the rollers I'I and I8 is an endless can conveyor 2`I, the lower reach of which is supported by guide rollers 22 and 23 respectively mounted in a bracket 24 depending from the guide rails I4 and I5l and from the bracket I3 mounted on the rear end of the tank I. Fastened tol the bracket I2 is a gear head motor 25 serving to drive the pulley I8 through a belt 23.

Pivoted to the rear end 4 of the tank is an arm 21 arranged to pass beneath the upper reach of the conveyor belt 2|. Provided at the free end of arm 2l is an upstanding arcuate can deflector plate 23 and a horizontal can track 28a, spaced from said deflector plate, except adjacent arm 2, to enable the deilector plate to move above and the track to move below the upper reach of the conveyor belt. rThe plate 28 is arranged to pass through a slot 29 formed in the upstanding guide. rail I5 over the upper reach of the endless conveyor ZI and diagonally across the path of the cans supported on and carried bythe conveyor belt. The function of the deflector plate 28 is to deflect cans from the conveyor belt into the tank compartment 8- and the function of track 28a is to provide a pathway for the deflected cans to enable the cans to be deposited into the tank at a point spaced from the belt. To permit this function to be carried out aportion of the inner guide rail I4 is notched out as at 3| at a point opposite and to the rear of the line of travel of the plate 28. The plate 28 is resiliently urged to its can deflecting position by a tensionV spring 32 secured at one end to the arm 21 and at its other end to the outer upstanding guide rail I5.

Since both plate 28 and track 28a are connected to arm 2'! they move in unison. Similarly pivoted to the tank partition I is an arm 33 arranged to move beneath the upper reach of the conveyor belt 2I and provided at its outer end with an arcuate can deflecting plate 34 and a track `34a similar to track 28a for plate 28. The function of deflector plate 34 is to deflect cans from the conveyor belt into the tank compartment 9, and the function of track 34a is to provide a pathway for delivering the cans into the tank at a point spaced from the conveyor belt, the inner upstanding guide rail I4 being notched out as at 35 at a point opposite and to the rear of the path ofr travel of the deector plate to permit of this function. The plate 34 is resiliently held in its canI deflecting position in the line of travel of the cans carried on the endless conveyor 2| by a tension spring 36 secured at its rear end to the outer end of the arm 33 and at its forward end to the tank 9. Track 34a is connected to arm `33 and to the deeotor 34 and so the deflector and track move in unison. Fastened to the outer ends of the arms 21 and 33 respectively are cables 3'I and 38 extending rearwardly from the tank I in substantial parallelism with the endless conveyor 2I. These cables terminate at their rear ends in operating rods 39 and 4I extending through a guide plate 42 supported by the frame I6 and provided along their lower edges with notches 43, engageable with the gu-ide plate 42 so as to hold the deflecting plates 28 and 34 and tracks 28a and 3de in their open position or in any intermediate position against the action of the springs 32 and 36. Associated with the rear end of the endless conveyor 2I is a can seamer 44 of standard construction arranged to deliver sealed cans to the conveyor and provided with a bracket 45 for supporting and guiding the rear ends of the operating rods 39 and 4I.

In the operation of this device, cans from the seamer 44 are delivered to the conveyor 2I in an upstanding position and travel on the conveyor to eitherl a point opposite the compartment 8 or the compartment 9, depending upon the positions to which the deflector plates 28 and S4 have been set by the operating rods 39 and 4I If as shown in Fig. 2 the deecting plate 28 is in its open position and the deflecting plate 34 is in its closed position, the cans on the conveyor belt will pass by the compartment 8 to a point where they engage the angularly disposedA plate 34. which serves to deflect the cans into the compartment 9 along track 34a. Preliminarily, the compartment 9 has been lled with water to a level determined by the slot II in the partition 1, the compartment 8 containing a quantityA of water less than its full capacity as determined by the height of the slot II by a quantity of water equal to the displacement of theI retort basket to be filled and the displacement of the cans with which the retort basket' is loaded. The retort basket indicated in outline by the reference numeral 45 is then picked up by a fork lift truck and immersed in the compartment 9 ready to receive cans from the conveyor 2| due to the deecting action of the plate 34, said cansv being forced along track 34a, into compartment 9. The level of the slot II is so correlated with respect to the height of the retort basket 46 that the basket is completely immersed in water, the water contained therein serving as a cushion. to dampen the fall of the cans thereby to prevent them from becoming dented. After the retort basket 46 is completely loaded with cans', it is lifted from the compartment 9 by a fork lift truck or other suitable transfer means and a second basket is immersed in the tank 8, which by this time has Ibeen completely filled with water up to the level of the slot H due to the overflow of water from the tank t. The deflecting plate 28 is then moved to its closed position by means of the operating rod All, whereupon cans are deflected from the conveyor onto track 28a and are forced therealong into the compartment 8 into the second basket. In this connection, it is to be particularly noted that by resorting to a pair of intercommunicating tanks or compartments, such as the compartments 8 and 9, and permitting water from one tank to overflow into the other tank as the basket in the former tank is being loaded, the height of the side and end walls of the tank need not be as high as would otherwise be required. This feature is of considerable importance for it decreases the extent to which the retort basket must be elevated when charging and discharging baskets to and from the two compartments. It should also be noted that by selecting the positions of the tracks 28a and 34a, they can be made to dump the cans supported thereon, on either side of the center lines of their associated tanks.

I claim:

l. A retort basket loader comprising: an open tank divided only into rst and second compartments by a common wall having an overflow lip over which water can pass from one of said compartments to the other; said lip being disposed below the upper edges of the sides of the tank; a frame fastened to and extending rearwardly from said tank; an endless can conveyor supported by said tank and said frame with a portion thereof extending along the upper edge of said tank; an upstanding can guide rail supported by said tank adjacent the outer edge of said endless conveyor; rst and second can deector plates pivoted to said tank respectively adjacent said first and second compartments for movement over said conveyor into and out of the path of cans carried thereon to selectively deflect said cans into one or the other of said compartments; and means for selectively `actuating each of said can deflecting plates.

2. A retort basket loader comprising: flrst and second aligned tanks arranged to communicate with each other at a predetermined level and each adapted to receive a foraminous retort basket; an endless can conveyor associated with said tanks and having a portion thereof arranged to traverse the upper edge of one side of each of said tanks; an upstanding can guide rail fastened to said tanks along the outer edge of said endless conveyor; a can deilector plate for each tank, said plates being pivotally mounted on said tanks for movement over said conveyor into and out of the path of cans carried thereon to selectively deflect said cans into one or the other of said tanks; means for selectively actuating each of said can deflecting plates; and a track member fixed to each deilector plate and movable therewith relative to the upper reach of the conveyor for discharging the cans at a point remote from the conveyor.

3. A retort basket loader comprising: an open tank divided only into first and second compartments by a common wall provided with an overflow lip over which water can ilovv from one compartment to the other; a frame fastened to and extending rearwardly of said tank; `an endless can conveyor mounted on said tank and said frame and extending along the upper edge of one side of said tank; upstanding can guide rails extending along the outer and inner edges of said conveyor; a cam deflector pivoted to said tank adjacent each of its compartments, said deflectors being arranged to be positioned either in the path of the cans traveling on said conveyor so as to deflect them into one or the other of said compartments or free and clear of said path; spring means for resiliently holding deflectors in the path of said cans; means for positioning said deilectors over said conveyor; and a track member fixed to each def-lector and movable under the upper reach of the conveyor for discharging the cans at a point remote from the conveyor.

4. In a device of the character described, an endless conveyor belt, a pair of gapped guide rails disposed one on either side of the belt, adeflector movable over the upper reach of the belt and through the gaps in said guide rails for deflecting articles carried by the belt for discharge therefrom, and a track movable under the upper reach of the belt for supporting the deflected articles for movement to discharge the same at a point spaced from the conveyor belt.

5. In a device of the character described, an endless conveyor belt, a pair of gapped guide rails disposed one on either side of the belt, a deflector movable over the upper reach of the belt and through the gaps in said guide rails for deflecting articles carried by the belt for discharge therefrom, and a track movable under the upper reach of the belt for supporting the deflected :articles for movement to discharge the same at a point spaced from the conveyor belt, and means for moving said track member and deflector in unison.

6. In a device of the character described, an endless conveyor belt, a pair of gapped guide rails disposed one on either side of the belt, a deector movable over the upper reach of the belt and through the gaps in said guide rails for deecting articles carried by the belt for discharge therefrom, and a track movable under the upper reach of the belt for supporting the deflected articles for movement to discharge the same at a point spaced from the conveyor belt, said track member and deiiector being connected together for movement in unison.

7. In a device of the character described, a pair of receiving tanks, a conveyor1 belt mounted to move in a path of travel adjacent the sides of said tanks, a pair of gapped guide rails disposed one on either side of the belt, a pair of pivotally mounted deector plates mounted at spaced intervals along the belt and movable through the gaps in said guide rails to defiect articles carried by the belt for discharge therefrom selectively to one or the other of said pair of tanks, and a track member for each defiector plate movable under the upper reach of the belt for supporting the deflected articles for movement thereacross to discharge the same yat a point spaced from the conveyor belt, said track members being xedly connected to and hence movable in unison with their respective defiector plates.

8. A retort basket loader comprising: an open tank divided into a rst and second retort basket receiving compartment by a common wall having an overflow lip over which water can pass from one compartment to the other, said lip being disposed below the upper edges of the sides of the tank, an endless conveyor extending along the upper edge of one of the side walls of said tank, and independently operable denector plates 7 selectively Yoperable to .deect articles .-from the conveyor into either of said compartments, the Water being rdisplaced .by the articles Afrom 4the selected compartment over said overflow lip into the other of saidcompartments.

-9. In fa loading device vof the lcharacter described, an endless conveyor, a guide rail disposed along aside of the conveyor and vhaving Va gap :through which articles .carried :by `the conveyor-may be displaced -laterally therefrom, a deiectorfmounted adjacent the conveyor and movable .to `and from an operative position extending across the conveyor .for displacing articles therefrom through the gap, and a track .mounted in connection with the vdeflector .and movable therewith vto and from an operative -position extending laterally from the side of the conveyor for discharging the'displacedarticles at variable points spaced .from the conveyor.

LOUA lloading device as .dened by claim 9 wherein Ithe deflector and track are Apivotally mountedandare of varcuate shape centered about the .pivot .upon which .they are moved.

GARREIIT B. STRYKER.

References Cited in the .file of this patent UNITED lSTATES PATENTS 

